Sri Vasista
O Raghava, after saying thus, Mandavya returned to his beautiful hermitage in the land of munis.
-8 After the departure of the sage, king Suraghu found an isolated place and started contemplating on the question : 'who am I?' 'I am not Meru neither is Meru mine. I am not this world nor is the world mine. I am not a maintain nor is the mountain mine, I am not earth, nor is the earth mine. This kirata region in not I, nor is the region mine. It is purely symbolic it is mine. If I give up this symbol (of king) I am not the region nor is the region Meru. Even this city is not mine nor am I the city. I am not the army and the forests and the animals there in. This is a purely a symbolic relationship. This will go away with the symbol. I am not the pleasures and family nor are they mine. I am not the kingdom nor is the kingdom mine. All are purely symbolic relationships.
-13 This body with all its limbs may be considered as mine. Let me examine the implications of this. I am not the flesh, bones and nerves because they are inconscient. The organs of actions are not I, nor are they mine, because they are inconscient and I am conscious. I am not these buddhi and such senses. They are also inconscient.
-15 . Because of the blemish of unsteadiness I am not mind; mind is stupid. Then 'Buddhi and Ahamkara' : these two are constituents of mind. And so not mine. Thus it is clear that I am not mind and buddhi and such senses. Let me inquire into the rest.
-18 . What remains is the conscious Jiva, who is activated by object (and phenomena). It has to be awakened and enlightened by something other than itself. And so it can not form the body of the principle of Self. I reject this as 'not I'. What remains then is the pure changeless consciousness. And that is 'I'. What a wonder I was in possession of the Self for all the time. I was active as one possessing Self. I am that infinite Self not the finite being. I belong to the Paramatnan.
-25 . This Lord, the Self abides in all the elements, Brahma, Indra, air and all beings like a string running through pearls (in a necklace). Consciousness- force is immaculately pure. It is devoid of all phenomena. It fills all the quarters with its (massive) Bhairava form. It is immanent in all states of existence. It is subtle and is devoid of becomings and non-becomings. It is in all the worlds. It is a storehouse of all power. It is splendorously beautiful. It is the lamp that illumines everything. It is the string holding together all mutable worlds. It is full of all forms and deformations. It is free of all form.It multiplies into innumberable beings and is immanent in all. It holds the fourteen species in the fourteen worlds in its womb. It holds the experience of this world in itself. All movements of joy and sorrow are its illusory reflections alone. The supreme consciousness reflects as multitude of forms. All these forms are Self alone.
Such Self of mine is spread all over. Shining with its Self conceived divisions, it causes the perplexity and falsehood of kingship (in me).
By the grace of this consciousness mind sits in the chariot of body and moves into this play of 'samsara' and gallops, leaps and dances.
In fact, there is nothing like body and mind and such. If they are destroyed, no damage ensues to anyone.
All this world net is purely a drama of mind. Consciousness intelligence reveals this clearly like a lamp.
What a problem! vainly I am thinking of law and order and compassion. When there is no body, I am devoted to the idea of body.
Oh! I am now enlightened about 'I and you'. The bad perceptions of mine have vanished. I have seen all that is to be seen. Whatever is mine I have gained.
Whatever is visible here is all that belongs to the world. There is nothing eternal in this.
Where are the two perceptions of restraint and compassion? What is there content? They are like joy and sorrow (which do not exist).
What is happiness and what is sorrow? All is that vast Brahman. Unnecessarily I remained a fool and stupid.
Having seen the supreme light, what for should I grieve and by what for should I be deluded? What should I see? What should I do? Where should I reach and where should I stay?
Nothing else other than the consciousness-ether is effulgent and radiant. Salutations to you O Supreme Self. You look majestic and splendorous.
Oh! I am now enlightened. I am the knower fo all. Salutations to my all knowing Self.
I abide in my Self as one in equilibrium. I am in that state of constant 'sushupti' (deep sleep). I am free from all illusions about the mutable world. I have no attachments or delusions. I am free of all sentience.
